by Sean Ryan, Reporter, The Business Journal

The African American Chamber of Commerce in Milwaukee is pursuing new programs, including a $200,000 loan fund for businesses, in an effort to improve its reputation and play a larger role in growing companies.

Leaders say the organization will contribute more to the effort of building wealth in Milwaukee’s African-American communities. The organization, founded in 1993, is coming off a leadership change and moving past a time during which — as long-term board members put it — the chamber was seen as working for the benefit of a few.

The chamber recruited new president and chief executive officer Eve Hall .

Up to $1 billion in SBA guaranteed leverage over a five year period for startups

by C. Daniel Baker, BlackEnterprise.com

The SBA is inviting experienced early stage investment fund managers to apply for licensing as Early Stage Innovation Funds as part of SBA’s Small Business Investment Company Capital Investment Program.

In the programs first year, it attracted 33 applications and gave “Green-Lights” to six qualified funds to continue the licensing process after raising private capital.

The SBA has committed up to $1 billion in SBA guaranteed leverage over a five year period to those selected for the Early Stage Innovation Funds. Licensed Funds can receive up to a maximum of $50 million in SBA-guaranteed funding to match any capital they’ve private raised. At least 50 percent of their investment dollars must be in early stage small businesses.

“This initiative promotes innovation and creates jobs by encouraging private sector investment in early stage small businesses,” said SBA Administrator Karen Mills. “Early stage small businesses face difficult challenges accessing capital in this financial climate, while venture capital funds are finding it difficult to raise money from institutional investors. By licensing and providing SBA financial backing to Early Stage Innovation Funds, we hope to expand entrepreneurs’ access to capital and encourage innovation as part of President Obama’s ongoing Start-Up America Initiative launched in 2011.”

Early stage companies that are high-growth potential usually experience problems raising funding between the $1 million and the $4 million level. This gap is often referred to in the venture capital industry as the “Valley of Death.” Since January 2006, less than 10 percent of all U.S. venture capital dollars went to seed fund investing at those levels. By licensing and guaranteeing leverage to funds focused on early/seed stage investments, the SBA hopes to target this gap.

More information on the Early Stage Innovation Fund initiative and the regulations governing these SBICs may be found at www.sba.gov/inv/earlystage

Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele is marking Aaron Rodgers Day, Wednesday, December 12 by encouraging all County employees to wear Packers jerseys or shirts to work. Abele is also encouraging employees to show their support by donating $12 to the MACC Fund. “There is no better way to celebrate the Packers and Aaron Rodgers than by showing our pride,” Abele said. “Like Aaron Rodgers, I’m a strong supporter of the MACC Fund, and this is a good chance to have fun while raising money for an important cause.” Over the past 30 months, fundraising efforts involving Aaron Rodgers have raised nearly $750,000 in net proceeds for the MACC Fund to continue the mission of hope through research. People can donate to the MACC Fund through their website, www.maccfund.org, or through this link: http://tinyurl.com/MKE12-12-12 Since 1976, the MACC Fund has contributed $45 million towards pediatric cancer and related blood disorder research. Thanks to MACC Fund donors all over the world, the overall five-year survival rate for all childhood cancers has risen to 80% during that time. Children who are considered cured may still suffer from “late effects” of their treatment and research is now being undertaken to help survivors live as healthy and normal as possible.

For every Brewers’ run this season, WaterStone Bank Fund donated $10 to Sojourner Family Peace Center (SFPC) – totaling $7,760 at the end of the season. WaterStone Bank President and CEO Doug Gordon presented the check at SFPC’s October board meeting.

“Thanks to WaterStone Bank, the Brewers’ bats this season helped fund necessary programs and services for local residents we serve,” said Carmen Pitre, Executive Director of Sojourner Family Peace Center. “With the steady increase of domestic violence reports in our community, this donation couldn’t have come at a better time.”

In addition to its monetary donation, WaterStone Bank Fund, in conjunction with WTMJ-the Brewers Radio Network, underwrote commercial messages to help communicate SFPC’s mission to the Milwaukee baseball community. 2012 marked the third year of WaterStone’s partnership with SFPC. The funds supported Sojourner Family Peace Center’s many programs designed to heal families suffering from domestic abuse.

Sojourner Family Peace Center’s mission is to create peaceful communities in which domestic respect and a life free from violence is the right of every woman, man and child. This agency provides education, advocacy and resources to keep people safe. SFPC operates a 44-bed shelter that has provided safety and support services to thousands of women and children. Other programs include a 24-Hour Domestic Violence Hotline, Domestic Abuse Victim Advocates in the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office, Courthouse Advocacy, Legal Emergency Assistance, Children’s Advocacy, Ending Violence through Education and Beyond Abuse, which is for men and women seeking alternatives to abusive behavior. Sojourner Family Peace Center is committed to creating communities where people live peacefully.

WaterStone Bank is a full-service bank established in 1921. Branch offices are located in Wauwatosa, Franklin/Hales Corners, Germantown/Menomonee Falls, Oak Creek, Oconomowoc/Lake Country, Pewaukee, Waukesha/Brookfield, and West Allis. WaterStone Bank established the WaterStone Bank Fund with the Waukesha County Community Foundation in 2002 to ensure the bank’s ability to continually give back to the communities it serves. In 2012 alone, the Fund donated more than $400,000 to over 225 recipients.

According to its website, the LDF, which was founded by Thurgood Marshall in 1940, seeks to “expand democracy, eliminate disparities, and achieve racial justice in a society that fulfills the promise of equality for all Americans.”

Ifill is not new to the organization, having served as assistant counsel in its New York office early in her career. During her time there, she worked on the landmark Voting Rights Act case Houston Lawyers’ Association vs. Attorney General of Texas.

“It was a dream come true to serve as a lawyer at LDF years ago, and it is a high honor to return to this premiere institution as President and Director-Counsel,” Ifill said in a statement. “I am looking forward to working with the LDF team, allies and partners to advance an innovative 21 century civil rights practice that confronts the barriers to equality and justice in the lives of the most marginalized members of our community.”

“Sherrilyn Ifill brings to this position her visionary leadership, keen intellect, an unwavering commitment to social justice and a deep understanding of LDF’s legacy,” said David W. Mills, Co-Chair of LDF’s Board of Directors.

Gerald Adolph, also Co-Chair of LDF’s Board of Directors, said of Ifill, “With Sherrilyn at the helm, LDF will be stronger as the fight for racial justice in the 21st Century continues.”

Ifill will take a leave of absence at the University of Maryland’s Francis King Carey School of Law, where she’s taught since 1993.

The dean of the school, Phoebe A. Haddon, called Ifill an “extraordinary member of our faculty.”

“We are deeply proud that she has been called upon to lead this storied national organization at a critical time,” Haddon said. “Her intellect, vision and life-long dedication to advancing justice will improve the rights of all.”

The 22nd Annual Ozaukee County Freedom Fund Dinner will feature a stimulating panel of distinguished guests who will discuss, “Your Power, Your Decision – Vote.” Radio host Earl Ingram will moderate this timely public discussion and lead the panelists through a series of questions that puts the spotlight on the deliberate strategies that were designed to adversely affect many citizens, making voting more difficult, more intimidating, more inconvenient, more time consuming, and in some instances, impossible, for individual citizens to vote. Panelists will discuss their views on how the outcome of this election will affect our way of life and perhaps change the direction of our future. Our distinguished panelists, all leaders known locally, nationally and internationally, are Dr. Howard Fuller (Marquette University Distinguished Professor, Founder/Director of the Institute for the Transformation of Learning), Claire Vanderslice (President of the Ozaukee League of Women Voters), Connie Pukaite (former mayor of Mequon), and James Causey (columnist and blogger for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel). With this panel, the audience is expected to leave inspired, informed and challenged to participate and engage in voting…Your Power, Your Decision- VOTE! Following the discussion, the audience will have an opportunity to engage with the panelists and offer their views on voting and what this election means to them. The NAACP is committed to advocating for the protection of voting rights and minimizing the disenfranchisement of communities of people of color. The NAACP continues to fight for civil rights! The message this year is: Your One Vote Counts! It’s Your Power and Your Decision! The 22nd Annual Ozaukee County NAACP Freedom Fund Dinner will be held Sunday evening, November 4, 2012 at the River Club of Mequon, formerly the Mequon Country Club, located at 12400 Ville du Parc Drive, Mequon, Wisconsin 53092. The evening will begin at 4PM with a social hour and a silent auction. The dinner will start at 5PM. With the 2012 election, just two days after the dinner, each attendee should be “fired-up and ready to vote”. It is critical that everyone exercises his/her right to vote. This year, more than ever in our history, we must let our voices be heard, and the only way to effectively carry our message is at the polls. Please visit the website at www.naacpozaukee.org for information regarding the dinner and ticket prices. Join us! “Your Power, Your Decision – Vote “

Nite-Glow Golf: The Halloween Edition returns for one night of fun, Friday, October 26, at three Milwaukee County Parks Golf Courses.

Golfers can kick off the weekend before Halloween with this Friday night, after-dark event. With only tees, flag sticks, and holes illuminated and glow-in-the-dark golf balls flying through the air, Nite-Glow Golf is a veritable light show!

Tee times at Hansen Golf in Wauwatosa, Warnimont Golf in Cudahy, and Lake Park Golf on the East Side start at 6 p.m., and the last tee time is at 10 p.m.

Golfers can make reservations by calling the number listed after the course:

Hansen Golf Course, 9800 W. Underwood Creek Parkway, (414) 453-4454

Warnimont Golf Course, 5400 S. Lake Drive, (414) 481-4730

Lake Park Golf Course, 3233 E. Kenwood Blvd., (414) 257-8024

Nite-glow golf is a fun, after-dark golf experience for players of all ages and skill levels. During the regular golf season (May through September) Nite-glow golf is offered every Friday, alternating between Hansen, Lake, and Warnimont Golf Courses.

Wisconsin will soon be making its largest deposit ever into the state’s rainy day fund. The Department of Administration says Wisconsin will deposit just under $109 million the fund, the largest contribution in state history and the first time the state has put money into the fun in consecutive years.

A fiscal report from DOA indicates the state finished its fiscal year at the end of June with a positive fund balance of over $342 million, which was largely the result of state tax collections exceeding expectations and efforts to reduce spending in the last state budget.

Governor Scott Walker says the news is a sign the state is managing its budget wisely and will avoid burying the next generation under a mountain of crippling debt.

“The Milwaukee Branch of the NAACP has always relied on our community to help fund the fight for justice,” said Branch President James Hall. In 1924, a group of Milwaukeeans met and formed the Milwaukee Branch of the NAACP because of issues surrounding segregation, poor housing, lack of diverse communities, and inequality in education. These issues continue to plaque our community today.”

The NAACP is the oldest, largest and strongest civil rights organization in the United States. The organization’s principle objective is to ensure the political, educational, social and economic equality of people of color.

For more information about the event, call 562-1000 or go to milwaukeenaacp.org.

New African American Chamber of Commerce President Dr. Eve Hall with Milwaukee Common Council President, Ald. Willie Hines at the recent introduction reception held in her honor at the Wisconsin Club. (Photo taken from AACC website)

Associated contributed $25,000 to the African American Chamber of Commerce (AACC) of Greater Milwaukee Revolving Loan Fund Program (RLF). The AACC Board, with seed funding from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), has established a revolving loan fund to make capital accessible and provide quality technical assistance to the African American business community.

WEDC provided $100,000 seed money to the RLF that will be leveraged into a matching fund to help start the RLF Program with an initial total of $200,000 in capital. With Associated’s $25,000 donation, the RLF will be able to support eight start-up or expansion businesses to create positive and proactive business climate that will energize the local economic capability to create or retain up to 15 to 20 jobs, generate tax revenues and buildup wealth.

“The African American Chamber of Commerce and Board of Directors are thrilled about Associated Bank’s leadership in empowering communities of color by supporting the establishment of Revolving Loan Fund services in our chamber,” said Dr. Eve M. Hall, president and CEO of the African American Chamber of Commerce. “This partnership will enable us to assist our business owners in securing loans critical to their growth and sustainability. The strength of African American-owned businesses means increased employment and educational opportunities for the citizens of this city and state.”

The AACC will put policies, procedures and technical assistance in place so the loan fund becomes a self-sustaining operation that revolves many times for the benefit of our community. The organization will also build the program’s technical assistance capacity to provide pre-loan and post-loan technical and administrative support to loan applicants and borrowers.

“Since its inception, Associated has had a rich tradition of providing superior financial services to the communities in which we do business,” said Nate Goudreau, Associated community reinvestment act director. “Our hope is that through this program, we will continue to foster stronger, more stable communities that will ultimately lead to a more positive future for us all.”

The AACC-RLF is the first of such funds focused on serving the African American business community in Wisconsin.

Associated bank is proud to partner with the AACC to support economic growth and thereby grow the number of viable minority businesses that will be available to compete in the Wisconsin market.